Hailing from Seattle and featuring Jesse Lortz and Kimberly Morrison of former bands The Fe Fi Fo Fums and Rat Fancy, The Dutchess and the Duke brought their brand of lilting revisionist folk to the dim-lit neon stage Wednesday evening at the Doug Fir, setting a warm precedent for the night’s colorful transpiring. Drawing from obvious influences of early Dylan, The Stones and The Velvets, and falling in line with contemporaries such as Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Tyde, The Dutchess and the Duke ran through a rousing set of tightly knit songs of heartache and fortitude, conveying a definitive impression in the minds of the audience of honesty and endurance through lyrical trials of pain and despair. For a half hour or more, the bare-bones sound of the duo rattled through the room, spellbinding the crowd who filtered in bit by bit.
The audience swelled to capacity by the time The Vaselines took the stage, and after a short introduction were treated to an immediate and blistering rendition of “Son of a Gun,” packing a sonic punch that rivaled even that of the recorded version. It was clear this was going to be a great night. There was a warmth to the old classics, and Eugene and Frances seemed more than at home performing for the crossbreed of fans who’ve since absorbed the duo’s catalog of catchy, potty-mouthed pop songs thanks to the championing of Kurt Cobain and Sub Pop. Not only have the songs been smoothed to a polish and given new life, but emphatically enhanced by the brilliant addition of fellow Scot’s and Belle and Sebastian members Stevie Jackson on guitar and Bob Kildea on bass, creating an exorbitantly clean stage production.
The band ran through nearly every song from their first three original releases, and sprinkled in for good measure were a few new tunes, including the playful “Pick a Cherry,” which showcased the same wonderful pop sensibilities and familiar call and response vocals that have become one of the group’s trademarks. The carefully constructed lyrical playfulness and unique songwriting abilities are still very clearly intact, and the melt-in-your-mouth delectability and sugary sweetness of Frances’ vocal delivery hasn’t faltered a bit, hitting the bull’s eye of perfect timing.
The Vaselines proved Wednesday night that they’re surly and cynical as ever, yet continue to carry the torch of innocence and youthful rebellion, making their highly anticipated reunion gig a whole lot of fun, and an absolute can’t miss.
DOWNLOAD: The Vaselines - Son Of A Gun (MP3) or Follow us for more The Vaselines MP3s (Twitter)
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Was at the gorge.. and the first night was the most incredible night of my life.. I have never in my life felt so consumed and overwhelmed. This was my first live Phish show.. just went to Festival 8.. and I will never forget the special times at the Gorge or Festival 8. Amazing pictures! Well done.
by Ki on Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 05.52 pm from the entry: Phish - The Gorge Amphitheatre (George, WA; Aug. 7th, 2009)
Might be mislabeled by the taper. Is there a longer intro on Sugarcube? If so, that’s the intro.
And The Story of Yo La Tengo was pretty damn good wasn’t it?
by colin on Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 05.28 pm from the entry: Download a Yo La Tengo show: live in Portland (soundboard/audience matrix)
Yeah, I didn’t want to miss the last MAX since I don’t know Portland that well. At any rate, I left after seeing Story of Yo La Tango, so I couldn’t have been any happier.
In my excitement downloading this I didn’t even realize it was a matrix… unbelievably good quality! Maybe it’s just me, but I should point out that I’m missing track 19. I see it’s just an intro but it might be missing in the zip folder you posted.
by Caleb on Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 05.09 pm from the entry: Download a Yo La Tengo show: live in Portland (soundboard/audience matrix)
neat photos, but how can you not be familiar with moby? what old tracks did he play, does he vary much from the albums? more info please....
by sarah on Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 04.01 pm from the entry: Moby - Crystal Ballroom (Portland, OR; Oct. 19, 2009)
Glad you got a chance to hear how it ended. I HATE it when I have to leave early. It drives me crazy.
by colin on Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 12.36 pm from the entry: Download a Yo La Tengo show: live in Portland (soundboard/audience matrix)
Red Cortez sounds pretty good, from listening to their MySpace afterward - driving rock with hints of blues and soul.Perhaps they need time to tweek their live sound, as a handful of dedicated fans who clearly knew the music stood up front,singing along and flashing their cameras.
by Home theater discount on Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 07.48 am from the entry: Red Cortez - Radio Room (SXSW 2009; Mar. 18, 2009)
Thank you for distributing this (and thank you for taping, whoever that was!)!
I was on a trip to Oregon from Canada when I attended this show. Unfortunately I had to leave before the encore and I’ve been dying to see what I missed. Now I can relive the amazing moments and finally hear the encore!
Cheers
by Caleb on Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 06.44 am from the entry: Download a Yo La Tengo show: live in Portland (soundboard/audience matrix)
